The globe artichoke is the bud of a large plant in the thistle family with tough petal shaped leaves.
When properly cooked, break off the leaves one by one, dip in butter or sauce, and draw the base of the leaf through your teeth scraping off the pulp and discarding the rest of the leaf.
At the center, scrape off the tiny leaves and fuzz and then continue to dip the heart of the choke in sauce and eat.
The Jerusalem artichoke is not a true artichoke but a tuber resembling a ginger root. These may be used peeled or unpeeled, raw as an addition to salads, or steamed or boiled as a side dish.

Arugula

A bitter and aromatic salad green. Good source
of iron and vitamins A and C.

au lait

A French term meaning "with milk."

Aurore sauce

A pink sauce made by combining bechamel (white)
sauce with tomato puree.

Babka

A Polish sweet bread made with rum, almonds,
raisins, and orange peel.

Bagna cauda

An Italian appetizer dip made with olive oil,
butter, garlic, and anchovies. Usually served
with raw vegetables.

Bagoong

An Asian fish sauce from the Philippines. It is
a salty liquid from salted, cured, and fermented
fish or shrimp. Used to flavor many Asian dishes.

Basmati rice

A long-grain, nutty flavored rice. Originally
grown in the Himalayan foothills in India.

baste

To brush food as it cooks with butter, meat
drippings, or stock. Basting keeps baked or
roasted foods moist.

beard to tail

For crustaceans such as shrimp or lobster, once the head and body have been removed what is left is cut "beard to tail" or top to bottom on the underside to extract the meat.

Beau Monde Seasoning

A commercial seasoning blend containing salt, dextrose, onion, celery seed and tricalcium phosphate (as marketed under the Spice Islands label) designed to enhance the flavor of most foods except sweets.

bechamel sauce

A French white sauce made with milk and a roux
of butter and flour. A thin sauce is made
with 1 tbsp each butter and flour to 1 cup of
milk. For medium sauce, use 2 tbsp each, and
for a thick sauce, use 3 tbsp each.

beef tartare

Finely chopped, high quality beef, seasoned with
salt, pepper, and herbs, and served raw.

beignet

New Orleans pastry, deep fried and served with
powdered sugar, like a fritter. A savory beignet
may be made with herbs.

bell pepper

The best known of American sweet peppers it belongs to the Capsicum family like the chile pepper but is mild, sweet flavored and crisp.
Though most often bright green, there are also red, yellow, orange, purple and brown varieties. They may be used in cooking or eaten raw, with seeds and stems removed.

Bellini

Italian drink made with champagne and peach nectar.

beni shoga

Ginger root pickled with sweet vinegar and colored
red. Often served with sushi in thin slices.
Also known as gari.

berbere

Ethiopian spice blend used in stews and soups.

besan

Indian flour made from ground, dried chickpeas.
Used as a thickener, and in doughs and noodles.
Highly nutritious.

betty

Baked pudding made from sugar, spices, fruit,
butter, and breadcrumbs. Very old, colonial
American dessert, though Betty Rubble was
much older still.

beurre blanc

French sauce, meaning "white butter". Made with
wine, vinegar, and shallots reduced over heat,
into which butter is whisked until the sauce is
thick.

beurre manie

A sauce thickener of softened butter combined with
an equal amount of flour. Small pieces can be
stirred into broth to thicken.

biltong

From Africa; air-dried, cured meat strips. Like
American beef jerky, but considered finer. Made
from beef or game.

bisque

A thick soup made of pureed seafood and cream.

bitters

Bitter flavored distillation of herbs, bark,
roots, and plants. Used in cocktails and cooking.
The most popular brand is Angostura bitters.

blackened

A cooking technique made famous by Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme. Meat or fish is usually seasoned with a cajun spice mixture and then cooked in a cast iron skillet that has been heated almost red hot. This technique gives the food an extra crispy crust and sears in the juices. It is also guaranteed to set off your smoke detector--unless the battery is dead.

blanch

A cooking technique of placing food into boiling
water for a short time, then in cold water to
stop cooking.

blanquette

A French term for creamy stew made of veal, chicken, or lamb, mushrooms and whole small white onions.

blend

To mix 2 or more ingredients together with a spoon, whisk, or electric blender until combined.

blintz

A very thin pancake, rolled around a filling and
sauteed until golden brown.

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